Tycoon'S Business Award Is Icing On The Cake

A BUSINESSMAN who made Pounds 37.5million from the sale of his cake decoration company has been named Scotland's tycoon of the year. Martin Lightbody, 43, tasted success after he won the lucrative contract to make cakes decorated with Disney characters such as the stars of Toy Story. He had sold his chain of family bakeries to focus on decorative icing in the face of supermarket competition in 1995. Finsbury Food Group bought his company in the multi-million pound deal in January.

Business support body The Entrepreneurial Exchange honoured Mr Lightbody at a gala dinner in Glasgow on Thursday. The judges said Mr Lightbody's rapid transformation of his family business made him the standout candidate for Entrepreneur of the Year. Exchange chairman Chris Gorman said: 'We had an amazing number of high-quality entries for the awards this year, which made the judging process harder than ever. 'However, Lightbody really stood out because of the way he transformed his family business.' The Lanarkshire resident's icing business made sales of Pounds 50million in its first year. Mr Gorman added: 'He demonstrated entrepreneurial flair in taking big risks with a wellestablished company, seeking opportunities to grow the family business even further.'